Method of and means for controlling the heat of certain elements of rotary printing presses



Nov. 2o, 1962 D. R. COOK 3,064,563

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE HEAT OF CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Filed /A/ VEN TQQ. Danie! R. Cook BY Jan. 14, 1960 3,054,563 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 ihre 3,064,563 METHOD F AND MEANS FOR CGNTROLLING THE HEAT 0F CERTAIN ELEMENTS 0F ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Daniel R. Cook, 4009 76th St., Des Moines, Iowa Filed Jan. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 2,437 Claims. (Cl. 101-216) This invention relates to rotary printing presses and more particularly to a method `of and means for the controlling of the heat of -certain elements of the press whereby expansion and contraction factors will be held within permissible ranges, thus making possible better and more uniform printing.

One of the chief diculties encountered in good printing by rotary type presses is the ever changing contraction and exransion of the related parts of the press and which are due to intermittent self-generating heat. In such presses there are at least the large impression roll and one or more form or plate rolls. These rolls rotate together and obviously, to realize good printing, the form or plate rolls must be correct distances from the large impression roll. To partially solve this problem most impression rolls have at each end a wheel roller called a bearer which limits the movement of the impression roll and plate rolls toward each other. Obviously, if the press elements are cold at time of correct printing plate adjustment and the press is then started, the bearer elements will start to heat up due to friction and such temperature change will expand the bearer elements and accordingly throw the printing contact out of adjustment. TFurthermore, this yamount of expansion and/ or contraction will vary because of changing conditions, such as room temperatures, press speeds, lubrication, parts wear, printing plate weights and like. When an adjustment of the printing impression becomes absolutely necessary, the entire press mustbe stopped.

Therefore, one of .the principal objects of my invention is to provide a means for making possible the uniform emperature control of certain elements of rotary printing presses.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means for adjusting the printing impression of rotary printing presses without shutting down the press.

Still further objects of this invention are to provide a means for temperature control forrotary printing presses that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention conists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated `are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side View of one end portion of the impression roll area of a rotary press with my device installed thereon;

FIG. 2 is `an end view ofthe press rolls with my device installed thereon and taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an inside enlarged view of my means for controlling the temperature and is taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of my heat control means taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end View of the heat control means taken from line 5 5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional View of the heat control means taken on line `6 6 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional View of the heat control means taken on line 7 7 of FIG. 3.

While I describe my invention as particularly adapted for use on rotary printing presses, it may be used yalso to advantage for controlling the temperature of other devices such as cams, calender rolls, rotating shafts and like.

ln the drawings I have used the numeral 10 to generally Idesignate the impression or packing cylinder of an ordinary rotary printing press. Such roll cylinders have a shaft 11 at each end that is rotatably mounted in the printing press frame 12. Also at each end of such impression rolls is a circula-r wheel or like portion 113 and which is known in the trade as a bearen These bearers have a diameter usually slightly larger than that of the diameter of the roll 10 and serve the purpose of properly spacing the two form or plate cylinders 15 and 16 from the impression cylinder roll 10. The two rolls 15 and 16 are also operatively rotatably secured to frame 12 as shown in FIG. 1. Obviously, if the printing plates rare on, say, a cold press and are properly adjusted for good printing and then the press is run for any length of time, the bearers 13 would become heated by friction and would expand, thus changing the distance between the plate and impression rolls and which would result in faulty printing. Conversely, if the printing was adjusted for a hot press and the press became cold and then run, the printing would not be satisfactory. Therefore, it is always a problem to keep a rotary type printing press in proper printing adjustment. Thus, frequent printing adjustments are necessary but to make such adjustment it usually requires the shutting down of the press.

My invention is to provide a means for controlling the temperature of the moving parts such as the bearers 13. The numeral 17 designates a curved shoe tray secured to the frame 12 and closely adjacent the bearer 13 as shown in FIG. 2. This tray has one side 19 higher than its other side and it extends downwardly along the outer side of the bearer 13 as shown in FIG. 5. This tray 17 has its edges sealed with the bearer 13 by any suitable heat resistant material such as felt or like 20 and as shown in FIG. 6. By this construction the tray 17 will remain stationary but it will embrace and communicate with a portion of the rotating bearer 13. By regulating or controlling the temperature within the tray 17 the bearer 13 will be accordingly controlled. This maybe accomplished by several methods, i.e., the moving of hot or cold air into the tray, the movement of hot or cold water or other like fluid into the tray. Also an electric heating unit may be employed. The use of an electrical heat unit is perhaps the most simple method and in the drawings I illustrate the use of such a resistance wire. The numeral 21 designates a conduit extending from the inside of the tray 17. The numeral 22 designates the electrical heating unit inside the tray 17 with its lead wires 23 and 25 extending through the conduit 21 and adapted 4to be in communication with a source of electric energy. The numeral 26 designates an insulation plate in the bottom of the tray 17. When this system is used, the two bearers 13 each equipped with one or more units, is first heated to the proper temperature after which the printing plates are installed and adjusted. By this construction, the adjustment of the printing plates and rolls on the cold press will be eliminated. However, the heated bearers must be maintained at this given temperature during the running of the press and this may be easily accomplished by disconnecting the electric heating element from its source of electricity when it is determined that the temperature of the bearers exceeds that for the previously determined ternperature. Also, if the bearers were to drop in temperatue below the previously determined temperature, then the heating element would be re-connected to the source of electrical energy. Obviously, this cutting on and cutting oil of the heating element may be done automatically or manually. The numeral 27 designates a temperature sensitive element adjacent the bearer l13 as shown in FIG. 2 and this may be connected to a temperature gauge or a temperature actuated adjustable switch for controlling the heating element.v If desired, a thermocouple may be employed. Also, the temperature Within the tray 17 may be adjusted by a plurality of air passageways 29 in one side of the tray 17 and which are closeable by gate doors 30 as shown in FIG. 6. The numeral 31 designates a conduit communicating with the inside of the tray 17. This conduit i31, as Well as the conduit 21, may be employed if desired for moving hot or cold air or hot or cold gases or liquids into and out of the tray 17. Regardless, however, of lthe heating or cooling means employed, the purpose of the invention is to make possible the selection of the temperature of the bearers 13 and the maintenance of this temperature once it has been determined. The invention also makes possible not only `the uniform maintenance of the temperature of the bearers, but also without even stopping the press, different printing effects may be easily achieved. If, during the printing run, it is desirable to obtain a heavier print it is merely necessary to reduce the temperature of the bearers. On the other hand, if a lighter printing eitect is desired, the bearers 13 are heated to accordingly higher temperature.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my method of and means for controlling the heat of certain elements of rotary printing presses without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims,

4 any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents Whiuh may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a means for controlling the temperature of a rotatable cylindrical member of a rotary printing press, a tray shoe adapted to be held adjacent the cylindrical member to be temperature conditioned, a flexible ring on the edge of said tray shoe adapted to extend to and engage said cylindrical member, and a heating means in said y perature controlled, and a controll-able heat producingi 4 Way in the side of said tray shoe, and a heating means in said tray shoe.

3. In a means for controlling the temperature of a rotatable cylindrical member of a rotary printing press, a tray shoe adapted to be heldadacent the cylindrical member to be temperature conditioned, a flexible ring on the edge of said tray shoe adapted to extend to and engage said cylindrical member, a heating means in said tray shoe, and a means for controlling the temperature within said tray shoe.

4. In a means for controlling the temperature of a rotatable cylindrical member of a rotary printing press, a tray shoe adapted to be held adacent the cylindrical member to be temperature conditioned, a flexible ring on the edge .of said tray shoe adapted to extend to and engage said cylindrical member, a temperature responsive means adapted to be adjacent the cylindrical member to be temmeans in said tray shoe.

5. In a means for controlling the temperature of a rotatable cylindrical member of a rotary printing press,

a tray shoe adapted to be held adjacent the cylindrical member to be temperature conditioned, a exible ring on the edge of said tray shoe adapted to extend to and engage E adapted to be in operative communication with an automatically controllable heat producing means in said tray shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,634,353 Franz July 5, 1927 1,678,843 Arnold July 31, 1928 1,978,894 Clark Oct. 30, 1934 1,982,571 Clark Nov. 27, 1934 2,181,690 Boyd Nov. 28, 1939 2,352,206 Kendall Iune 27, 1944 2,362,069 Huck Nov. 7, 1944 2,676,536 Ste-Marie Apr. 27, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 584,240 Great Britain I an. 9, 1947 

